Storms, rains, and Ventura

I haven't been feeling well lately, which means that I haven't been able to do much. But as the saying goes:

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

                         —Unknown

So, I dug through past photos, found some from my visit to Ventura situated between L.A and Santa Barbara, and decided to make a post of it. It's a quiet area. People are nicer than people in L.A. No egos. No attitudes. Just kindness.

 

I was there back in 1872 before the storms damaged the pier. What? You don't believe that I am 200 years old? Okay, so I lied a little, but the way I've been feeling lately, I'm not far from it. Anyhow, it's been a while since I visited the Ventura Pier. I was there with a friend, and as the English saying goes, we had a jolly good time. There aren't a ton of things to do in Ventura unless you like surfing or swimming. I don't know how to surf, and although I do like swimming in the ocean, we were not dressed for it, and my friend didn't know how to swim.

We ended up spending half a day there. It was definitely worth the drive up. We started at Channel Island National Park visitor center. There are displays of Marine life, maps and information about the area, and a short film about the history of Ventura and the five islands with the voice of Kevin Costner which was a surprise.

You can then take the elevator up and enjoy beautiful views.

From there, we walked to not-to-be-missed Coastal Cone ice cream shop at Ventura Harbor Village. It can get super busy, but so worth the wait. Even though I do my best to stay away from junk food, this place has the best soft served hot fudge Sunday I have had to date in L.A and vicinity.

It was time to burn some of the calories we consumed. We had an enjoyable walk for miles and miles along the beach. You can bring your laptop and work on your writing or read that novel you've been meaning to finish. There are benches everywhere.

The Ventura Pier has great views as well, and there is a casual restaurant called Eric Ericssons Fish co which serves a decent fish and chips and beer among other things. You just go up to the counter and put in your order. Or grab a glass of wine, and a window seat at sunset with amazing views and pleasant atmosphere. You can also sit at a communal table which is what we did at dinner. People are friendly and you can carry on a nice conversation.